Gauging machine



GAUGlNG MACHINE Filed Aug. 19. 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet l Jan. 28, 1930. W. H, CHAPMAN 4 1,745,318

GAUGING MACHINE Filed Aug. 19. 1927 2 sheets-snee: 2

54 127g 16g 1.42' 44 l Z4" a H/s A rra/wf n Patented Jan. 28, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM H. CHAPMAN, OF MONTCLAR, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL MOTORS CORPORATION, OF DETROTT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE GAUGING MACHINE Application filed August 19, 1232 T his invention relates to gauging machines and is herein shown, by Way of example, in connection with a gauging machine for testing the diameters of cylindrical rollers and segregating those of acceptable dimension from the others.

` An object of the invention is to provide an improved machine for accurately gauging articles, such as cylindrical rollers, and segregating those of acceptacle size from others. Another object is to provide a gauging machine Which Will detect an out-of-round condition of a roller or an undesired taper on an elongated article and separate articles having any such defects from the acceptable ones.

To these ends and also to improve generally upon devices of the character indicated the invention consists in the various matters hereinafter described and claimed.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation.

Figure 2 is an end view With some parts in section.

Figure 3 is a plan View With some parts in section.

A gauging machine having an inclined gauging slot with opposite side members along which articles travel `by gravity Will gauge one diameter of an article but when the article is a cylindrical roller that is unintentionally tapered a little (With one end too small and the other end of acceptable size) the roller Will stay in the slot until it reaches a point Where the acceptable articles are supposed to go and drop through at this point yet the small end may be su'liiciently under size to make the roller unsuitable for use where great accuracy is desired, as in roller bearings, for instance. In the present machine, there is provided a very simple device for overcoming this objection and for insuring that the approved articles will have no undue taper or flats.

In the illustrated construction, an article guide and gauging slot With inclined parallel sides is provided by each of two pairs of smooth faced, preferably cylindrical gauging rolls, one pair 10, 12 of the rolls first receiv- 'ing the articles and eliminating those that have the defects mentioned, another pair of Serial No. 214,104.

rolls 1.4L, 16 then receiving and segregating the acceptable articles While eliminating those that are too large. The rolls of each pair have their axes parallel and in the same inclined plane. At least one roll of each pair is eriven in a direction which tends to lift the article to overcome the Wedging action of gravity. Preferably the rolls 12 and 16 are driven, say, at a speed of 200 R. P. M., this action tending, with the aid of gravity, to feed the articles progressively down the incline and presenting all diameters of the ar.- ticlc to the gauging slot and detecting any lists. The rolls 10 and 14 are driven at a much slower speed in a direction which also tends to lift the articles. The rotation of the rolls 10 and 14 can be dispensed with but is preferred because it distributes Wear over the Whole surface of these rolls. The inclination of the rolls can be dispensed With by using some other lrind of feed device. Articles that are too small at both ends or having flats drop between the rolls 1() and 12 and are eliminated. Articles that are too large at both ends pass endwise along both pairs of rolls and are eliminated. Articles that are tapered too much, being` too small at one end 4and of correct size at the other, pass endwise along the rolls 10, 12 until the smaller end drops thereby leaving the article'suspended by its larger end after which it travels sidewise. To eliminate such a suspended roller, the continuity of the article guide is broken or interrupted for a short distance. A circumferential groove or notch 1S is cut, preferably in each of the rolls 10 and 12, the groove or grooves being deep enough to insure the roller dropping Whatever its size at its larger end. Two pairs of aligned rolls having their adjacent ends spaced a little would accomplish a similar result. Unless the taper on a roller or other elongated article is sutliciently pronounced that the center of gravity lies in that portion which is narrower than the 1Q; slot, the roller will not hang down but, li

ke `other acceptable articles, Will continue endwise across the short interruption. rlhe gauging slot is of constant Width from end to end with the exception of the short interruption and this Width can be accurately regulated, as will a pear, to correspond to the minimum size o acceptable articles. If a roller is only very slightly tapered, and hence usable, it will pass endwise across the grooves or notches 18 and to the second set of gauging rolls 14 and 16, finally assuming a tipped and suspended position before dropping among the good rollers. A roller that is tapered, but having the small end of cor rect size and the other end too large for use, will pass endwise to the second set of rolls and then may become tipped and suspended to finally leave the rolls at 19 where these rolls are reduced in diameter.

The rolls require accurate mounting to keep a constant spacing and are accordingly journalled in ball bearings with an automatic take-up to avoid looseness. Each roll has a grooved pulley 20 formed at one end bevond which is a trunnion having a coned face 22 engaging a series of balls held with two point contact in a cup 24. Each cup 24 has a flange 26 to locate it and hold 1t against axial movement in a bearing housing 28. At

,. the other end of each roll, there is a trunnion having a coned face 80 engaging balls in a cup member 32 which has a oating or sliding fit in a bearing housing 34. Coil springs 36 in recesses of the cnp member bear against a closure plate 38 and force the cup to take up all play in the bearings. To simplify and make more compact the driving mechanism, the grooved pulleys 20 are placed at adjacent ends of the rolls and the floating cup inembers are located at the more remote ends of the two pairs of rolls. The rolls 12 and 16 forming one side of the gauging slot are adjustable laterally and bodily to vary the width of the slot as will appear and the rolls 10 and 14 forming the other side of the gauging slot are adjustable angularly but are then fixed against movement other than rotation. Each of the bearing housings 28 and 34 for the rolls l0 and 14 is secured by a tongue 40 and screws 42 to a swivelling bracket 44 having a flange or foot 46 pivotally secured centrally by a shouldered screw stud 48 to a base plate 50. Clamping screws 52, near the ends of the bracket, clamp it to the base, the screw openings in the foot 46 being slightly enlarged laterally or elongated to allow a slight swivelling adjustment of the bracket. To effectthe swivelling adjustment, socket screws 54 are threaded in bosses of the foot 46 and are provided with conical ends '56 to enter conical seatsin bushings 58 set in the base 50 in slightly eccentric positions with relation to the screws. This adjustment enables the roll 10 or the roll 14 to be set up precisel parallel to its companion roll or, in case a slight divergence of the companion rolls ls desired, as for gauging balls, such divergence can be adjusted.

To adjustthe spacing of the rolls for a run of articles of any selected width or diameter, each of the rolls 12 and 16 has its bearing housings 28 and 34 secured to a swinging support comprising a hinged bracket pivoted by end pivot pins 62 to bearing brackets 64 secured to the base plate 50 by tongues 66, dowel pins 67 and screws 68. Each bracket 60 has an adjusting' arm 70 carrying a niicrometer adjusting screw 72 arranged to abut at its lower end against an anvil plate 74 on the base plate. The screw has a graduated hand wheel or dial 7 6 for cooperation with an index line on a rib 7 8 of the bracket and is threaded in a nut on the arm 70 and locked in adjusted position by a check nut 82. A coil spring 84, secured to the base plate and to a screw 86 threaded in the arni 70, pulls the swinging bracket to located position as determined by the micrometer adjustment. Tension of the spring can be adjusted by a wing nut 88 and one spring is secured to a web 90 and the other to a screw stud 92 on the base plate. Thus the spacing of the rolls 10 and 12 can be adjusted independently of the spacing of the rolls 14 and 16 and the relative spacing of the two sets of rolls depends on the tolerance permitted in the completed article. The first two rolls are set a little closer together than the next set and they eliminate all articles that are too small including tapered articles that are large enough f;

12 go first into a sheet meta-l chute 94 fastened 1 by end flanges and screws to the top of the base plate 50, then drop through an opening in the base, and are directed laterally to a receptacle by a laterally bent chnte 96 fastened by end flanges and screws to the bottoni of the base plate. Articles are transferred from one setof rolls to the next by an inclined chute 98 having, at one side, extensions 100 fastened by screws to lugs on the bearing housings 28 of the rolls 10 and 14. The second set of rolls is stepped down below the first set to give the chute 98 an inclination. Acceptable articles dropping between the rolls 14 and 16 go first into a sheet metal chute 102 fastened by end flanges and screws to the top of the base plate 50, then drop through an opening iii the base, and are directed laterally to a receptacle by a laterally bent chute 104 secured by end flanges and screws to the bottoni of the base plate. Articles dropping at the reduced portions 19 of the rolls 14 and 16 go into an end chute 106 formed as an extension of the base plate.

The base plate 50 is hinged at both ends to a main frame so that it can be lifted at either end for access to the driving mechanism carried by it. One end of the base plate has hinge lugs 110 sleeved on a hinge shaft 112 detachably clamped by set screws 114 in side frame members 116 and 118. 'Ihe side frame members are rigidly spaced by a shouldered tie rod 120 and by an end frame member 122 secured between the side frame menibers by cap screws 124. The end frame member 122 has supporting lugs 125 at the upper end in which a hinge shaft 126 is detachably secured by set screws 128. A hinge bracket 130, fastened to the bottom face of the base plate 50, is sleeved on the hinge shaft for pivotal movement.

'Ihe roll driving mechanism comprises a motor 132 bolted under the base plate and having a worm 134 on the motor shaft to drive a worm wheel 136 on a shaft 188 jour nalled in brackets 140 secured by dowel pins and screws to the under side of the base plate. Large grooved belt pulleys 142 on the shaft 138 are connected by round belts 144 to the pulleys 2O on the rolls 12 and 16. A small pulley 146 on the shaft 138 is connected by a belt 148 to a large pulley 150 on a shaft 152 journalled in brackets 154 on the under side of the base plate. Small pulleys 156 on the shaft 152 are connected by crossed belts 158 to the pulleys 2O on the rolls 10 and 14. y

The articles are fed to the machine by any suitable feeder having a delivery tube for support at its end in a V-shaped seat 162 on a vertically slotted bracket 164 which is adjustably secured by a clamp screw 166 to the higher end of the base plate 50. The bracket has a bent arm or extension 168 at its upper end carrying a clamping screw 170 for holding the delivery tube against its seat. Thus,

Athe space between the rolls is unobstructed at the ends so that an article can be presented endwisev for travel straight through the machine in a direction parallel to the sides of the gauging slot. n

Vliile the illustrated machine is particularly intended to gauge the diameters of cylindrical rollers, it should be understood that the invention in its broader aspects is applicable to the testing of dimensions or taper on other articles.

I claim:

1. In a machine of the character described, a pair of spaced side members forming a gauging slot and article guide to eliminate small articles, means for releasing tapered articles from the guide, and a second pair of spaced side members forming a wider gauging slot and article guide, the second guide releasing acceptable articles and separating them from articles that are too large; substantially as described. i

2. In a machine of the character described, 1L pair of spaced rolls forming a .gauging slot and article guide, a second pair of spaced rolls forming a second and wider gauging slot and article guide, and means for independently adjusting the spacing of the rolls of the two guides; substantially as described.

3. In a machine of the character described, a pair of spaced side members forming a gauging slot and article guide, an inclined chute at the end of the guide, and a second and lower pair of spaced side members receiving articles from the chute and forming a second slot and article guide; substantially as described. l

4. In a machine of the character described, a pair of spaced side members forming a gauging slot and article guide, a swivelling support for one of said side members, and a swinging support for bodily moving the other side member to vary the Width of the slot; substantially as described.

5. `In a machine of the character described, a pair of spaced side members forming a gauging slot and article guide, said side members comprising spaced rolls, means for rotating at least one of the rolls, a swivelling support for one of the rolls, and means for bodily moving the other roll to vary the width of the slot; substantially as described.

6. In a machine of the character described, a pair of spaced side members forming a gauging slot and article guide, a swivelling support for one of said side members, and eccentrically located conical engaging members for adjusting the swivelling support; substantially as described.

7 In a machine of the character described, a pair of spaced side members forming a gauging slot and article guide, a swinging Y support .for one of said side members, a spring for moving the support in one direction, and an adjusting screw for moving the support in the other direction; substantially as described.

8. In a machine of the character described, a base plate, gauging rolls mounted on the base plate, roll driving means mounted on the under side of the base plate, a frame, and a pivotal connection between the base plate and the frame for allowing the base plate to be tilted to expose the driving means; substantially as described.

9. A machine for gauging elongated articles and separating those of acceptable width from those that are too small or unduly tapered, comprising a pair of side members spaced apart in precisely parallel relation to form a gauging slot and article guide of constant width from end to end with the eX- ception of a short interruption, the space between the side members being unobstructed at the ends to allow the articles to be presented endwise for travel through the machine in a direction parallel to the sides of the slot the parallel side members allowinor unduly; tapered articles to hang down and tthe short interruption allowing them lto drop between the side members while the acceptable articles continue @advise across the interruption; substsntully as dascr1bedl0. A machin@ for gauglng elongated artif elsa .and separating those of aoptable Width 5 from those that are too (small or unduly tapend, comprllsmg a pau of sudo members goed apart 1 n precisely parallel relation to zu a gaugmg slot and artc1egulde of constant width flora and to epd with the eX- ptwa. of a short mterruptlon, means for regulatmg the constant width 0f th@ slot to @respond to the minimum sim of aoptable arta'olas, the parallel Slde members allowing unduly taperedartlcls to hang down and the L; ibut mterrilltlon allowmgthem to drop bet-wqen the s .members while the acceptable srt-mba cont-inne endwiso across the interruption; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I hommto ax ,my

Slgnata' ne. 2 WILLIAM H. CHAPMAN. 

